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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · saw · pitcher · swing · plane · foot · perch · fine

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. swing — to play on
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com